Fall 2023 Google Updates
Tables in Docs
One limitation of tables in a Google doc in the past has been that you couldn't move them around or wrap text around them. This summer one of the updates in Google has been improved control of tables in a document. Now, you can:
Drag and drop a table to anywhere in your document.
Wrap content around a table like you would an image. This option is in the side panel that you can now access for table options.
Create quick layouts so you can automatically move a table to a fixed position on a page. (Use this if you have a common format for a document, lab report, etc.)
The demo to the left is taken from the Google Workspace page.
Google collaborations in Canvas
Students have always been able to collaborate within Google and submit them to a teacher on Canvas. But, there is now a "Collaborations" function in Canvas that will allow the teacher to start the collaboration, essentially creating a document that they will be able to see from start to finish.
To grade a collaboration, a teacher can either look at it in the Collaborations tab and do the grading in an assignment set up for no submission, or they could have a student submit the link through an Assignment set up for Google Drive/URL link.
To create a collaboration:
Click on the Collaborations tab on the left side of the Canvas screen.
Click on "+Collaboration" and be sure to choose the LTI 1.3 option (first screenshot).
Give the collaboration a name, choose the type of Google file you want to collaborate on, give the project a description, and invite your collaborators (middle screenshot). Click Create.
Finally, give the file a name and click on Create one last time (last screenshot).
To find a collaboration, students will go to the Collaborations tab on their Canvas page and click on the one they want to work on.
If you choose to use collaborations, be sure you make that tab visible to students by going to your settings, navigation, and enabling that tab for students.
Easily access your password manager in Chrome
Chrome has added a quick link to your password manager to the three dot menu in the upper right. You can quickly access your list of saved passwords here to delete, add or edit passwords.